Skydiving 101: Take the Leap with Your Branding & Marketing

Skydiving 101: Take the Leap with Your Branding & Marketing

Everyone knows the expression “no risk, no reward.” But when it comes time to make a daring brand or marketing decision for our own company, we immediately act like someone has asked us to jump out of a plane. We retreat and stay in our safe zone. “Let someone else do the jumping!”

But here’s the problem with playing it safe: Safe gets you left behind. You fall victim to the notorious sea of sameness. You disappear into the industry rather than standing out for your unique merits.

Suddenly, playing it safe doesn’t sound like such a good option. You really do need to make more of an impact in your market to help your company achieve its goals. Besides, you’ve heard from so many people how exhilarating an experience jumping out of a plane can be!

Ok, so you know you should jump – but you still want to reduce the risk. Here’s how you do it:

Find your jumping partner.

Most sane people don’t jump out of a plane by themselves the very first time. Similarly, you shouldn’t try to take a big leap in your marketing without the guidance of a trained professional. An experienced partner can educate you on the right steps to take and be there as you make that first jump.

Know the landing zone.

As you prepare to jump, you’ll want to have a clear sense of where you want to land when you hit the ground. For a new marketing plan, you want to have a clear idea of what you’re trying to achieve and who you want to impact. Without that clarity, you’re more likely to drift into the middle of a highway or into power lines. Yikes.

Plan and practice.

It’s a good idea to talk to other people who’ve jumped. Or watch some videos of other people jumping. And, of course, talk with your instructor (the one you secured after reading Step #1). Take the time to plan for your brand. Know what your brand stands for, who you’re talking to, what actions you want your audience to take, and how your brand can connect with the world. Planning and practicing with these “reasons to believe” provides a solid foundation to prepare you for your jump.

Be flexible while in the air.

Once you’ve made the jump, the wind could shift. It may be more hazy or cloudy than you planned. Things happen at a moment’s notice. While the planning and training can prepare you for what to expect, you have to be ready to change course if need be. What works in today’s market might not work in tomorrow’s. Flexibility means taking the good and bad in stride, analyzing the forces at work, and optimizing performance every step of the way.

With the right support, preparation and mindset, jumping doesn’t have to be so scary. Neither does your daring new marketing plan.

So what are you waiting for? Give it a try. Carve out a name for your company in your industry. Make memories in the minds of your customers. Stop people in their tracks. Jump!

Caitlin Roscioli is Dotted Line Collaborations’ Marketing Manager and our team’s go-to for digital marketing expertise and execution. When Caitlin’s not busy serving clients, she can usually be found planning a skydiving adventure (which she has done not once, but twice), preparing for her next marathon or hiking the Shenandoah Mountains with her family.

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We recently partnered with Dotted Line Collaborations to launch a new exciting financial planning program in 2018 while also building on our existing marketing plan. They developed a dynamic and comprehensive strategy for rolling out our new program and we could not be happier with the changes they made to enhance our marketing plan. It was truly a pleasure working with Lauren and her team. We’re excited to continue the relationship as we move forward with our ongoing growth efforts in 2018!

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Lorelle Myer, Marketing Director, Virginia Women's Center

I can’t say enough great things about Dotted Line! After 25 years in business, Conger LP Gas decided that it was time for a change with our brand. We knew we needed to start to market in a different way, but we did not know how. Dotted Line’s team conducted an insightful analysis of our company and its customer base. From there, the DLC team created a new, innovative brand for us that has allowed us to develop a strong marketing strategy for years to come.

Dan Richardson, CEO Conger LP Gas

Magnolia Green had a record year in 2017, and making the switch to Dotted Line for our marketing had a lot to do with that. Their talented team delivered a brand new ad campaign that not only set us apart from the competition, but also has given Magnolia Green a voice and attitude. Their on-going media support allowed us to expand our social reach by 1,000%, increasing website traction by over 40% which resulted in us reaching nearly 30 home sales above our goal. I look forward to working with t…

Tom Page, VP, iStar

DLC has done so much for my business. I give the DLC team significant credit for where my business is today – I wouldn’t be where I am today without their strategic partnership and creativity.

Stinson Mundy, Founder & Attorney, Linden Legal Strategies

We partnered with Dotted Lines Collaborations to help us build a new website that truly captured who we are as an organization, and they NAILED IT! They worked very closely with us to truly define what our identity is, and then they had the talent to bring that identity to life with our website. Throughout the entire process, they kept us updated on the timeline, held themselves and our team accountable for deadlines, and always over-delivered. I wholeheartedly recommend DLC to any org…

Luke Bukovich, Executive Director, UnBoundRVA

I knew, in my heart, exactly what I wanted to do and exactly how I wanted to do it, so I started my own business. I quickly learned that even if your heart is 100% in it, a business cannot thrive without a well-designed business and marketing strategy. Dotted Line Collaborations met with me, listened to me, understood me, and put solid, meaningful words behind my heartfelt ideas. They were incredibly professional, but they simplified the tasks at hand so that the process wouldn’t become overwhel…

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Lauren and her team nailed our recent content marketing strategy. I was at a place with my company where I was struggling slightly to find our identity. Dotted Line Collaborations did an amazing job identifying our target demographic and instructing us on how to best communicate to her. Everyone we have met at Dotted Line is professional, sophisticated, and incredibly knowledgeable about the ever changing marketing industry. I was blown away by how quickly they identified our market and came up …

Erin Powell, Founder, Ginger Juice

Dotted Line Collaborations delivered so much more than a logo and website to us. They transformed our cold, out-of-date branding into a warm, welcoming story that our clients can feel before they even walk through our doors.

Lorelle Myer, Marketing Director, Virginia Women's Center

As a business owner trying to juggle all the hats can be difficult and many times important tasks get left behind. That was the case with my marketing. That stopped once I hired Dotted Line. Lauren has been amazing to work with she does what she says she will do when she says she is going to do it. A rare thing in any industry… My marketing is now consistent and meaningful. She took an outdated website and gave it new life, reworked my print material, and is constantly coming up …